027 Neely Gracey - Running the Tangent, Tuning Out Self-Doubt & Other Race Day Strategies

Episode Summary

Neely Gracey is a three-time Olympic Trials Qualifier and Founder of the run coaching group, Get Running Coaching. Today, Neely joins the show to discuss racing strategies such as running the tangent, navigating water stops, and other tactics to consider. Neely shares her thoughts on running etiquette, how to settle into your comfort zone when you find yourself running alone, and what to do when things don’t go as expected on race day.

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Key Takeaways

01:01 – Whitney Heins welcomes Neely Gracey back to the show to discuss her training and how the altitude has impacted her

12:08 – Running the tangent and other race strategies

18:19 – Running etiquette

19:34 – Navigating water stops

26:33 – Other tactics to consider prior to race day

35:29 – Settling into your comfort zone when you find yourself running alone

41:08 – Turning off the self-doubt and tuning out the excuses

51:00 – What to do when things don’t go according to your plan

1:03:45 – Whitney thanks Neely for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her

Tweetable Quotes

“So the tangents are something that you often see in the Elite race. In a major, for example, all the majors have a blue line, and that is the tangent. The blue line is where the measured course is. So, if you can run the blue line, you’re gonna run 26.2. If you run off the blue line, you are not going to be taking the most efficient, measured route. And, therefore, you may run further.” (14:15) (Neely)

“For my athletes, I always tell them to grab two cups at every stop. Every single water stop capitalize with two cups, because you know you’re only getting an ounce or two out of each cup. So, over the course of a marathon, you’re gonna need every single stop with two cups each to get in the appropriate amount of fluids that you need for that distance.” (21:07) (Neely)

“In my book I actually have a whole chapter on breathing and how to run on effort by utilizing this strategy. So, it’s you breathe in two steps and out two steps and that’s one. So in two, out two, in two, out two. And I do this in every race that I run and every workout that I do. It really helps me stay really focused and engaged and get the most out of myself on the day.” (37:42) (Neely)

“One of the things that you can do is utilize ‘you’ instead of ‘I.’ Research has suggested that we respond better when someone else tells us we can do it. So, when someone else cheers, ‘You got this’ your brain is gonna register it better than if you’re just saying, ‘Ok, I can do this. I can do this.’ And so, if you talk to yourself as someone else - as a coach, for example - and you say ‘You can do hard things. You can get up this hill,’ whatever it may be, that is going to be more effective.” (43:46) (Neely)

“I was on a team with multiple Olympians. It was really, really special for me on that day. And, at the end of it, I realized it was because I was prepared mentally that if anything didn’t go my way, it was still going to be ok. And I could only control myself, my attitude, and my approach to what was happening out there. And I feel like it made all the difference on that day. From that time forward, I’ve pretty much entered every race with that attitude of, ‘I can only control myself.’” (57:14) (Neely)